arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to K. Mahn.
The combined cross section for absorption and charge exchange interactions of positively charged pions with carbon nuclei for the momentum range 200 MeV/c to 300 MeV/c have been measured with the DUET experiment at TRIUMF. The uncertainty is reduced by nearly half compared to previous experiments. This result will be a valuable input to existing models to constrain pion interactions with nuclei.
As long-baseline neutrino experiments enter the precision era, the difficulties associated with understanding neutrino interaction cross sections on atomic nuclei are expected to limit experimental sensitivities to oscillation parameters. In particular, the ability to relate experimental observables to neutrino energy in previous experiments has relied solely on theoretical models of neutrino-nucleus interactions, which currently suffer from very large theoretical uncertainties. By observing charged current $ν_μ$ interactions over a continuous range of off-axis angles from 1 to 4 degrees, the nuPRISM water Cherenkov detector can provide a direct measurement of the far detector lepton kinematics for any given set of oscillation parameters, which largely removes neutrino interaction modeling uncertainties from T2K oscillation measurements. This naturally provides a direct constraint on the relationship between lepton kinematics and neutrino energy. In addition, nuPRISM is a sensitive probe of sterile neutrino oscillations with multiple energy spectra, which provides unique constraints on possible background-related explanations of the MiniBooNE anomaly. Finally, high-precision measurements of neutrino cross sections on water are possible, including $ν_e$ measurements and the first ever measurements of neutral current interactions as a function of neutrino energy. The nuPRISM detector also benefits the proposed Hyper-Kamiokande project. A demonstration that neutrino interaction uncertainties can be controlled will be important to understanding the physics reach of Hyper-K. In addition, nuPRISM will provide an easily accessible prototype detector for many of the new hardware components currently under consideration for Hyper-K. The following document presents the configuration, physics impact, and preliminary cost estimates for a nuPRISM detector in the J-PARC neutrino beamline.
A facility that can deliver beams of electron and muon neutrinos from the decay of a stored muon beam has the potential to unambiguously resolve the issue of the evidence for light sterile neutrinos that arises in short-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments and from estimates of the effective number of neutrino flavors from fits to cosmological data. In this paper, we show that the nuSTORM facility, with stored muons of 3.8 GeV/c $\pm$ 10%, will be able to carry out a conclusive muon neutrino appearance search for sterile neutrinos and test the LSND and MiniBooNE experimental signals with 10$σ$ sensitivity, even assuming conservative estimates for the systematic uncertainties. This experiment would add greatly to our knowledge of the contribution of light sterile neutrinos to the number of effective neutrino flavors from the abundance of primordial helium production and from constraints on neutrino energy density from the cosmic microwave background. The appearance search is complemented by a simultaneous muon neutrino disappearance analysis that will facilitate tests of various sterile neutrino models.
The nuSTORM facility has been designed to deliver beams of electron neutrinos and muon neutrinos (and their anti-particles) from the decay of a stored muon beam with a central momentum of 3.8 GeV/c and a momentum acceptance of 10%. The facility is unique in that it will: 1. Allow searches for sterile neutrinos of exquisite sensitivity to be carried out; 2. Serve future long- and short-baseline neutrino-oscillation programs by providing definitive measurements of electron neutrino and muon neutrino scattering cross sections off nuclei with percent-level precision; and 3. Constitutes the crucial first step in the development of muon accelerators as a powerful new technique for particle physics. The document describes the facility in detail and demonstrates its physics capabilities. This document was submitted to the Fermilab Physics Advisory Committee in consideration for Stage I approval.
The nuSTORM facility has been designed to deliver beams of electron and muon neutrinos from the decay of a stored muon beam with a central momentum of 3.8 GeV/c and a momentum spread of 10%. The facility is unique in that it will: serve the future long- and short-baseline neutrino-oscillation programmes by providing definitive measurements of electron-neutrino- and muon-neutrino-nucleus cross sections with percent-level precision; allow searches for sterile neutrinos of exquisite sensitivity to be carried out; and constitute the essential first step in the incremental development of muon accelerators as a powerful new technique for particle physics. Of the world's proton-accelerator laboratories, only CERN and FNAL have the infrastructure required to mount nuSTORM. Since no siting decision has yet been taken, the purpose of this Expression of Interest (EoI) is to request the resources required to: investigate in detail how nuSTORM could be implemented at CERN; and develop options for decisive European contributions to the nuSTORM facility and experimental programme wherever the facility is sited. The EoI defines a two-year programme culminating in the delivery of a Technical Design Report.